Satellite vs. Cellular

Infrastructure Requirements

X2nSat Satellite

Very small aperture terminals (VSATs) only require a power source to function. As they are a truly wireless service, they have no terrestrial connection requirements in order to transport voice or data over the link. Satellite's ability to function reliably and with little infrastructure is why it is the chosen technology of first responders and warfighters operating in areas with little or no infrastructure.

Cellular

Despite being a wireless service, cellular networks have multiple local/regional infrastructure requirements which must be maintained in order for the networks to function reliably. The physical cell towers require a power source and backhaul through terrestrial circuits in order to function.

For example, during Hurricane Sandy the FCC stated that 25% of cell towers in 10 states were made inoperable by the storm.

Ease of Use

X2nSat Satellite

Before an outage: As VSAT does not rely on capital-intensive infrastructure like cell tower sites, it can be installed and activated anywhere in North America within hours. X2nSat is typically able to provide full connectivity within 30-days or less.

After an outage: VSAT technology is inherently resilient and able to withstand Hurricane-strength winds and shaking events. However, if an antenna is thrown “off-peak” during an outage event, it can be repointed (by trained personnel) within an hour. As the technology is neither proprietary nor dangerous to work upon, X2nSat is able to offer training to our clients to complete this re-pointing process with their internal teams, allowing for complete independence and autonomy in the event of a major outage event.

Cellular

Before an outage: Cellular devices can typically be installed and operated with relative ease, assuming there is a reliable and unobstructed cellular network in your area. If your area lacks a strong cell tower footprint, the implementation of towers and trenching of fiber to backhaul from them can take months and even years and are typically completed at great expense.

After an outage: Cell towers and other cellular network infrastructure can only be worked on and repaired by trained and certified technicians from the organizations owning these tower locations. This means that your organization must rely upon the ISPs to visit the location and make repairs. During disaster scenarios the time to repair can span from weeks to months.

Risk Reduction

X2nSat Satellite

Before an outage: As VSAT does not rely on capital-intensive infrastructure like cell tower sites, it can be installed and activated anywhere in North America within hours. X2nSat is typically able to provide full connectivity within 30-days or less.

After an outage: VSAT technology is inherently resilient and able to withstand Hurricane-strength winds and shaking events. However, if an antenna is thrown “off-peak” during an outage event, it can be repointed (by trained personnel) within an hour. As the technology is neither proprietary nor dangerous to work upon, X2nSat is able to offer training to our clients to complete this re-pointing process with their internal teams, allowing for complete independence and autonomy in the event of a major outage event.

Cellular

Before an outage: Cellular devices can typically be installed and operated with relative ease, assuming there is a reliable and unobstructed cellular network in your area. If your area lacks a strong cell tower footprint, the implementation of towers and trenching of fiber to backhaul from them can take months and even years and are typically completed at great expense.

After an outage: Cell towers and other cellular network infrastructure can only be worked upon and repaired by trained and certified technicians from the organizations owning these tower locations. This means that your organization must rely upon the ISP’s to visit the location and repair. During disaster scenarios the time to repair can span from weeks to months.

Network Reliability

X2nSat Satellite

X2nSat’s satellite network maintains a guaranteed 99.9% uptime annually. In addition to this network uptime guarantee, X2nSat further guarantees that 99% of the bandwidth listed in your redundancy plan will be available 24/7.

X2nSat is able to make these guarantees of service and bandwidth because we do not service consumer clients on our network, eliminating the risk of bandwidth saturation after a disaster or outage event.

Cellular

Cellular networks are depended upon by a wide variety of users: consumer/enterprise/government. This reduces the reliability of these networks, especially in the event of a local or regional disaster. Cell network reliability drops significantly during even minor calamities due to the massive demand on cellular networks after outage events.

It is estimated that 40% of households nationwide use cellular phones exclusively for voice communications, meaning that demand on the limited bandwidth of these networks is stretched to the breaking point and causes extreme slowdowns and network failures when a disaster occurs.

X2nSat Difference

Dedicated to exploring and discovering the new technologies that improve our clients' experience, X2nSat is a forward-thinking company that takes pride in making a difference in the world of telecommunications.